The Insiders Guide to Las Vegas
Staying There - Hotel Secret Deals
In this section, we’ll go over the basics and secrets to finding the best Las Vegas hotels. We’re not going to go into a full, in depth review of each casino, but we’ll give you some recommendations as well as some places to stay away from.
Our first recommendation is that if you are going to Vegas with a group or to an event, stay at the same hotel or a hotel immediately adjacent. You don’t want to spend your entire trip in an Uber or Lyft or walking in crowds all day.
When choosing a place to stay, make sure you stay on the Strip. While there are exceptions, such as staying at the Rio because you’re playing in the World Series of Poker, staying on the Strip will enable you to tour Vegas by foot. Staying in the center of the strip will allow you the best flexibility in choosing places to see.
The first thing to watch out for when booking a hotel is the hidden fees. These hidden fees include Resort Fees and Parking. Make sure to find out which of these fees apply to your hotel before you book and how much they are. Some of these fees can range from $15 to $50 per night! If you can’t find the information online, don’t be afraid to call the hotel directly.
As far as recommendations, as long as you are staying in the center of the Strip, the price you pay is pretty indicative of the quality of hotel. You don’t want to stay any farther south than the MGM/New York New York (unless you are staying at the Mandalay Bay to spend your entire trip at the huge pool complex, which is totally doable). You also don’t want to stay any farther north than the Encore, and even that is really far but the Wynn/Encore make up for the distance with their beautiful hotels.
Other than that, most of the center Strip hotels are equally weighted when you consider the differences in their costs. The Flamingo used to be my go-to bargain hotel, but the check in line and overcrowded elevator debacle has nixed them from my list. My bargain choices are now the Linq and Planet Hollywood. The middle-of-the-road hotels are all preference and location based. When it comes to high end hotels, see if you can get a deal at the Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn, or Encore. They run specials pretty regularly and their rooms are beautiful. Caesars Palace and the Bellagio are Vegas icons and are really situated in the center of the Strip, but they do have the frequent habit of charging a premium price for a very average room, so beware. The Cosmopolitan is a fantastic, elegant hotel, but the rooms seem to sacrifice a lot of function for form. No alarm clock, the door to the restroom is a sliding barn-door, no exhaust fan, and the shower is walled by a large pane of glass that is shielded from view by only a mini blind mounted on the outside of the wall. It’s a very modern setup and probably great for newlyweds, but for everyone else, you are going to hear and see what everyone else is doing at all times. The Cromwell also falls into this category, with a two-way mirror separating the shower from the rest of the room and a sliding barn door is the only barrier between the bathroom and your bedroom guests.
There is one other option: VRBO. Now we're not talking renting a house off the strip (which is actually an option for people spending a long time in Las Vegas, but really isn't a good idea for the typical vacationer). There are a few hotels that actually built new towers and made them into condo-hotels. They have their own check in, they are operated by the hotel, but private parties actually own them. The benefits of renting one of these units is they come in a wide range of sizes (studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, penthouse, etc.), they may be cheaper than staying at the hotel itself because VRBO owners don't charge resort fees, and you are entitled to use all of the resorts amenities including the pools.
Examples of condo-hotels include the MGM Signature, the Jockey Club at the Cosmopolitan, and the Palms Place. The MGM Signature is literally comprised of 3 towers immediately adjacent to the MGM, so you should absolutely compare the prices on VRBO before booking at MGM. You still get access to their amazing pool facility. The Jockey Club has some really nice rooms and again, completely connected to the Cosmo. The Palms Place is off strip, but it is so unique, it still has a draw. You can get some suites that have unbeatable views, infinity pools, and even basketball courts inside! Search VRBO to see for yourself.
So now that you’ve got an idea of where you want to stay and how much you’re willing to spend, you can start looking for deals. Like I said earlier, no travel or deal website is going to have the best promotions because they aren’t going to get paid to sell you a deal. Start by looking at Expedia and book something that is cancellable. This is critical because hotel prices can jump in a matter of days, if not hours. If you book a hotel that is cancellable and you then find a better deal, your fine. Just cancel it.
After you've booked a hotel, start searching for deals at Slickdeals.net and look for deals about ‘Vegas’ or even the specific name of the hotels you’re considering. This site is a forum and is not extremely easy to search for the novice, but take your time and see what you can come up with. Once you think you’ve found the best online rate, do something that hardly anyone does these days; actually call the hotel and ask if they have any promotions for the dates you are coming into town! If they can’t beat the online rate, just book online. You might be surprised at what they can come up with though.
Another thing to keep in mind for those business travelers out there is that most Vegas casinos are affiliated with mainstream hotel chains, so they will accept your points and honor your rewards. For example, Venetian and Palazzo are a part of the IHG network (Holiday Inn). MGM resorts are partnered with Hyatt and Caesars hotels are affiliated with SPG (Marriott).
There is one secret deal that you can try on your next trip. It's called the $20 trick. It's very simple, and every hotel clerk in Las Vegas knows about. When you go to check in, they will always ask for your ID and credit card. When you hand it to them, fold a $20 bill in between the two cards. The clerks almost always have some discretion to offer upgraded hotel rooms to guests, and a $20 tip is a great way to entice them to see what's available.
You can see it as your first gamble in Las Vegas. Sometimes you won't get much, maybe just a higher floor or choice of proximity to the elevators. However, sometimes you'll get a huge upgrade. The picture to the left is our room at Planet Hollywood. We reserved a standard room and were upgraded to a mini suite with fantastic Strip views, a dining area, and a full wet bar!